Gingerbread upside-down pudding( SERVES 8 )

Sometimes called topsy-turvy puddings, these are fun to make and look highly impressive when turned out - especially if you have taken the time to arrange the fruit carefully on the base of the tin. As a young cook I thought that rings of tinned pineapple with cherries in the centre were particularly glamorous - if a little difficult to serve - but tidy servings are not the main point here. Florence Cornish of Khandallah contributed this excellent recipe to the 1951 League of Mothers Cookery Book. It has a thick layer of apples resting on moist and spicy gingerbread. If you use pears, make sure they are very ripe, or stew them gently first, or used tinned pear halves.

For the fruit layer

For the cake

Directions

Butter a 20cm round cake tin and spread the bottom thickly with the butter for the fruit layer.

Sift the dry ingredients for the cake.

Making the pudding

Peel, core and slice the apples and arrange a layer of them in the base of the tin. Sprinkle with sugar and repeat until all the apples are used.

Put the butter for the cake into a mixing bowl and pour over the boiling water, followed by the golden syrup. Stir until the butter melts, then beat in the sifted dry ingredients in three lots and mix thoroughly until smooth.

Pour carefully over the fruit and bake for about 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Rest for about 5 minutes and then turn out carefully and serve with hot custard or cream.

Christmas entertaining

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